Consciousness is Power

We know in scientific terms, power is the work done per unit time. We have electric power, mechanical power, chemical power, etc. We also have a different set of terms that denotes an idea of “capacity to get the work done” or “capacity to influence things / human beings”, for example political power, personal power, intellectual power, cultural power, social power, etc. First version of power – electric power, mechanical power – is tangible / physical and visible. The later version of power – political power, intellectual power – is more intangible and operates through human mind and beyond mind. But the effect of second version of power is visible and tangible. Here, we consider the second version of power for discussion.

Information is Power

Everyone knows how important the information is to get things done. For example, information of flight arrival and departure is very critical to arrange all the logistics. Information of how many guests are expected is vital for making the party arrangements. How many votes or seats a political party got decides who is going to run the government.

Recommended By Colombia

In the corporate world, customer information is of prime importance for the strategy formulation and execution that eventually make the organization flourish or doom. Thus, Information is Power and whoever has the information is powerful. So, in many organizations people / management hoard the information to create power echelons. This sometimes breeds corruption as one would like to get the information at any cost. There are old school management structures based on “Information is Power”. The IT departments in many organizations enjoy a powerful status as they have access to lot of information – financial, customer, business, people, material, etc.

Knowledge is Power

If information which is essentially interpreting certain data point is power, then Knowledge, application of information, obviously is power. In other words if one has the knowledge of something (s)he is powerful. For example, if you have the information of how to make a car, i.e. knowledge of making car, you have the power. Knowledge of government processes / procedures gives power to get projects sanctioned fast. Knowledge of human psyche gives the power to market the products easily. Knowledge of opponents operations helps to devise powerful strategies to outsmart the opponent or at least to have a win-win negotiation strategy.

Usually, knowledge is stored in the processes of organizations, traditions / customs / culture of communities. If these processes are automated, then the systems take over and become powerful. However, there would be people who master these processes and systems thus become powerful and they become centres of knowledge and thus power.

The power that is gained through Information and power that comes from Knowledge are different. One can put the power through information to use effectively if the knowledge is available to benefit from the piece of information available otherwise it is of no use. On the other hand, power from knowledge enables to create new things / realities and maintain situations effectively and destroy things if they are harmful. So, Knowledge Power is one level above the Information Power. It would be highly effective when both Knowledge Power and Information Power are used in an integrated fashion.

Consciousness is Power

If Information is ‘interpretation of data’ and Knowledge is ‘application of information’, then what is beyond knowledge? How is knowledge manifested / created? Does Consciousness play a role in knowledge? What is Consciousness? Subject of Consciousness is hot subject in scientific / philosophers’ community. It is a complex subject. Within scientific realm – consciousness is about ‘awareness’, ‘self-awareness’, ‘subjectivity’. In philosophers’ / religious world consciousness is the substratum of all manifestation. However, for our practical purpose, in simple terms, Consciousness can be considered as “Unknown” or “the other” yet to be explored and understood. So, how is “the unknown” or “the other” powerful? This “unknown” can come in many ways, perspectives, timelines (future, present and past). The unknown is power in terms of getting energy, creating knowledge, executing the plans. When you are conscious about yourself, anything, aware all the time, you get to the core of it and become one with it. This gives you power about the thing / situation you are aware of which has knowledge and information as its constituents.

From a religious perspective, Consciousness is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. Thus, it is the source of all power and it descends upon human beings. Combining both scientific and religious perspectives, our practical perspective of “the unknown” gives all power to us human beings. For example, take the instance of holding a party, if the number of guests attending is “unknown”, then you have the power to be flexible to quickly arrange as the party approaches and the guests start reporting. If the number is low, you have the power to reduce the preparations and if the number is high increase the quantity of the dishes you prepare. This power of “unknown” / consciousness is inclusive of the “power of information” and the “power of knowledge”.

Another example of how “the unknown” / consciousness is power is identifying /signifying the medicinal plants, let’s say ‘tulsi’ or ‘mint’. This is only possible when “the unknown” descended upon the human being who first named that plant with the specific medicinal qualities. It is next to impossible to if it is done in a trial & error basis. For that matter, any new discovery / invention is only possible when “the unknown” / consciousness chooses to unfold through the specific human individuals like Newton, Einstein, Fleming, Bell, Edison, Raman, Chandrasekhar, etc. So, Be Conscious Be Powerful. Have Consciousness have Power.